Traditional Sanskrit literary theory, including the classical text of the Nāţyaśāstra and in some ways culminating in the writings of Ānandavardhana and Abhinavagupta, provide a rich set of literary and psychological insights still of consequence for researchers today (Hogan, 2003).

Borrowing from the larger Hindu tradition concerning the goals of life, the Sanskrit theorists hold that all stories are organized around one of four ends or goals: